Eggleston and the "suitcase"

Originally Posted by Leighgion

Then there's William Eggleston, whose break came out of his "suitcase full of drugstore prints."

One of my close friends for many years has been John McIntyre, a sculptor here in Memphis and a friend of Bill Eggleston throughout the 1960s and beyond. The true story is that the whole "suitcase full of drugstore prints" is spin and marketing. There is a very wealthy cotton family here in Memphis with the last name of Hoenwald I believe which funded Eggleston for years. They paid for two or three vanity shows in NY before MOMA would even talk to him. The story was not "rags to riches" enough, being that he was funded by a very wealthy benefactor so the mythical suitcase was cooked up.

I might be inclined to think the above explanation was sour apples because of Eggleston's not talking to John for years.. then I heard it from many other people. In Memphis, Eggleston only associates with those who are monied and think he is a great artist and will tell him so with a rapid fire consistency.
Everyone who was around him when he was getting started is constantly ignored and snubbed in public, I have witnessed this part personally.